Brits are taking baths wrong and it’s putting health at risk, claims study

Not much beats a soak in the bath after a long, cold and miserable day.

But one study claims millions of Brits are running their baths wrong – and putting themselves at risk in the process.

Retailer Sanctuary Bathrooms assessed Brits' bathroom habits in their latest survey.

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As part of it, people were asked to record the temperature of their bath water over the course of two weeks.

And the results found that too many of us are cooking ourselves in water way above the recommended temperatures.

According to the experts, the ideal temperature is between 36-40C and laying in anything above that can cause damaged skin, increased blood pressure, nausea and more.

But three in five Brits are diving into tubs filled with water that is far too hot – with the average temperature recorded as 42C.

Abbas Kanani, Pharmacist at Chemist Click explains: “The optimum bath temperature should be around 36-40C, or just above the average body temperature of 37C.

“Brits should avoid going above 40C.”

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Dr Deborah Lee of Dr Fox Pharmacy added: “Anywhere above 40C is too hot.

“Although temperatures above 40°C are unlikely to burn the skin, this can still have health consequences.”

Besides the uncomfortable sensation of lowering yourself into the bath when it’s too hot, there are impacts on your skin that may make you reconsider your soak.

Dr Lee says that bathing in hot water can result in damaged skin, an increase in blood pressure, and nausea.

She continues: “Bathing and showering in very hot water will strip the natural oils from the skin, leaving it dry, red, and brittle. Sometimes the skin overreacts to hot water and produces too much oil to try and compensate for the dryness. So, if you have oily skin, taking long, hot baths and showers can make this worse.

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“The heat opens the pores and causes the skin to sweat, which can also cause acne to flare up. It can also cause the skin to age more quickly, resulting in the development of fine lines.”

James Roberts, Director at Sanctuary Bathrooms, says: “It is an idyllic image of bathroom relaxation: a hot, steamy bath filled with lots of bubbles, and a place to soak and relax away. But many Brits may not realise they could be putting the body under unnecessary stress or discomfort by bathing at high temperatures.

“This research shows that over half of us may be guilty of having a bath too hot from time to time. As such, it is important to take a little time to ensure our water is cooler before enjoy a good soak as the experts suggest, in order to enjoy bathing and maintain our wellbeing.”

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